![Forget His Orange Hair, Martin Maldonado Stands Out as the Astros' Hidden MVP — The Secrets of Baseball's MasterClass Catcher](https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/t_16x9/t_w1024/mlb/psg0ineslhnqgom8miss)
Martín Maldonado very valuable to Astros
![Forget His Orange Hair, Martin Maldonado Stands Out as the Astros' Hidden MVP — The Secrets of Baseball's MasterClass Catcher](https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/27/24/31/22890107/4/ratio3x2_700.jpg)
Astros' Martín Maldonado scratched from lineup with cold-like symptoms
![Forget His Orange Hair, Martin Maldonado Stands Out as the Astros' Hidden MVP — The Secrets of Baseball's MasterClass Catcher](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_615,w_1095,x_348,y_9/c_fill,f_auto,h_900,q_auto,w_1600/v1/m/7/e/7ee083953822a57e12335bfd4332506d5eaa31d7/astros-martin-maldonado-reaches-vesting-option.jpg)
Astros' Martin Maldonado reaches vesting option threshold
![Forget His Orange Hair, Martin Maldonado Stands Out as the Astros' Hidden MVP — The Secrets of Baseball's MasterClass Catcher](https://i.redd.it/qqn8ds15di351.jpg)
Astros catcher, Martín Maldonado, sneaks up behind Ward and gets him out with a 1000IQ move. Angels 1B coach somehow doesn't realize. Ward thought he was safe bc the 1B was off
![Forget His Orange Hair, Martin Maldonado Stands Out as the Astros' Hidden MVP — The Secrets of Baseball's MasterClass Catcher](https://www.papercitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Astros-Angels_Opener_3555_web-rez-1024x768.jpg)
Forget His Orange Hair, Martin Maldonado Stands Out as the Astros' Hidden MVP — The Secrets of Baseball's MasterClass Catcher
![Forget His Orange Hair, Martin Maldonado Stands Out as the Astros' Hidden MVP — The Secrets of Baseball's MasterClass Catcher](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/I1aEh5Zi6gM/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEhCK4FEIIDSFryq4qpAxMIARUAAAAAGAElAADIQj0AgKJD&rs=AOn4CLDUT3GbsX_XgEBbreZkI_GDQ0A_eg)
Angels' Taylor Ward caught napping as Astros' Jose Altuve and Martin Maldonado fake him out
![Forget His Orange Hair, Martin Maldonado Stands Out as the Astros' Hidden MVP — The Secrets of Baseball's MasterClass Catcher](https://p16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-useast5-p-0068-tx/0749951130064c93889af8fd4f3ebfd3_1668136934~tplv-dmt-logom:tos-useast5-i-0068-tx/5360b0bb25ca4a0b8d68735ff18284ec.image?x-expires=1698472800&x-signature=VU9N0qtAohmWI5YMDF%2FkG28rnB8%3D)
Martín Maldonado is the most underrated game-calling catcher in baseba
![Forget His Orange Hair, Martin Maldonado Stands Out as the Astros' Hidden MVP — The Secrets of Baseball's MasterClass Catcher](https://external-preview.redd.it/68D0uuvKuKm_ePURTQE5sVL4h_kF9k6trsY6Q-19sMU.jpg?auto=webp&s=2f67233a2e9cf7751ebb18f18969db1b2c87d9c3)
Astros catcher, Martín Maldonado, sneaks up behind Ward and gets him out with a 1000IQ move. Angels 1B coach somehow doesn't realize. Ward thought he was safe bc the 1B was off
![Forget His Orange Hair, Martin Maldonado Stands Out as the Astros' Hidden MVP — The Secrets of Baseball's MasterClass Catcher](https://s.hdnux.com/photos/74/57/23/15922374/4/rawImage.jpg)
Astros to acquire catcher Martin Maldonado from Angels
![Forget His Orange Hair, Martin Maldonado Stands Out as the Astros' Hidden MVP — The Secrets of Baseball's MasterClass Catcher](https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/t_16x9/t_w372/mlb/m1ngeduncucqpli8h4px.jpg)
Martín Maldonado makes sneaky play to tag out Taylor Ward
![Forget His Orange Hair, Martin Maldonado Stands Out as the Astros' Hidden MVP — The Secrets of Baseball's MasterClass Catcher](https://p16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-useast5-p-0068-tx/208958b6eab94c5b86b383ed9dc22683~tplv-dmt-logom:tos-useast5-i-0068-tx/a80f29c54f2d41e38b578bf3eed8d2a4.image?x-expires=1698472800&x-signature=PAHtqdoIAOs1pAuWN5YSRqc0LIM%3D)
Martín Maldonado is the most underrated game-calling catcher in baseba
![Forget His Orange Hair, Martin Maldonado Stands Out as the Astros' Hidden MVP — The Secrets of Baseball's MasterClass Catcher](https://wehco.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/photos/2023/08/03/maldonado_yDwPYjr_t800.jpg?90232451fbcadccc64a17de7521d859a8f88077d)
Houston's pitchers rave about Maldonado after veteran catches third no-hitter